Rural free-delivery mail-box.



. PATENTEDYJUNE 7, 1904. B. BEVAN. I v RURAL FREE DELIVERY MAIL Box.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Ill/lIII/II/lIl/IIIIIIlI/lIII/IIlllllllllllllllllIIIllI/IIIIIIIII 2 llllllll m\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Witnesses Attorney THE mums versus :04 PHDTO-LITNO., WASHNGTON. a. c.

Patented June '7, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUSTACE BEVAN, OF PEKIN, INDIANA.

RURAL FREE- -DELIVERY MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 761,938, dated June '7, 1904. Application filed September 14,1903. Serial No. 178,144. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EUSTACE BEVAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pekin, in the county of Washington and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Rural Free-Delivery Mail- Boxes; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention'is an improved rural free-delivery mail-box having an automatically-operated signal which is displayed when there is mail-matter in the box and lowered when the box is empty; and it consists in the construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a mailbox having an automatically-operating signaling device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the plane indicated bythe line a a of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a similar View taken on the same plane looking in the reverse direction.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable spring-clutch.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown the mail-box 1, which may be of any desired size, has an arched top 2 and is provided at one end with a'door or closure 3, hinged at its lower side, as at 4. On the inner side of the door is a clutch device 6, which is fastened against the door, as an adjustingslot 7, in which operates a setrscrew 8, that secures the clutch device adjustablyoto the door, and the said clutch device is provided with a pair of spring-arms 9, which have reversely'dii'ected sockets 10 and outwardly flared or diverged end portions 11.

A signal-arm 12 is pivotally mounted on the box, as at 13, and has an arm l i, which extends downwardly into the box. The signaling device 15, carried by the said signalingarm, may be of any suitable design. It is here shown in the form of the American eagle hav- 1ng downflapped wings, which when the device is lowered conform to the shape of the arched top of the box and overlap and overhang the same, so that the device is very inconspicuous. When, however, the signal-arm is turned to an upright position, the eagle or other signaling device will be conspicuously displayed, as is evident. V

A balance-bar 16 in the box is supported by the signaling device and is pivotally connected at a suitable distance from one of its ends to the arm 14 of the signaling device, as at 17 The said balance-bar has a screw-threaded arm 18, on which is screwed an adjustable weight 19, which is employed to counterbalance the said bar. The outer end of the balance-bar is provided with a head 20, which isadapted to be engaged by the socket-pieces of the spring-clutch when the front end of the balance-bar is lowered and the door is closed.

In the lower side of the mail-box I show a mail-receiving element 21, which may be of any suitable form and is here shown asa false bottom having its inner end pivotally supported'in the box, as at 22, and its outer end connected by a bail 23 to the outer portion of the balance-bar, the latter serving to support the free end of the receiver when the latter is unloadedthat is to say, when no mail-matter is thereon. When the receiver is unloaded, the outer end of the balance-baris above the clutch of the door when the latter is closed, so that the balance-bar is unaffected thereby and the signal is not moved to display position. When, however, the receiver is loadedthat is to say, when mail-matter is placed thereon in the boxthe weight of the mailmatter sufiices, with the weight of the receiver, to counterbalance the weighted end of the balance-bar, andthe outer end thereof is turned downwardly in position to be. engaged by the clutch on the door, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that as the door is closed it causes the balance-bar to move endwise to turn the signalingdevice on its pivot and elevate the signal to display position and maintain the same in said display position, as will be understood. Hence the signal is automatically controlled by the mail matter, is not displayed when there is no mailmatter in the box, and is caused to be set in display position by the weight of mail-matter when there is any in the box.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A box of the class described having a receiver, a balance-bar to support the receiver, when unloaded, and depressed thereby when loaded, a signaling device operable by the balance-bar, and a closure for the box having means to eoact with the balance-bar, when said closure is closed, to operate the signal.

2. A box of the class described having a receiver, a balance-bar to support the receiver when unloaded and depressed thereby when loaded, a signaling device operable by the balance-bar, and a closure for the box having a clutch to engage the balance-bar and move the latter when the closure is closed in position to display the signal.

3. A box of the class described having a receiver, a piVotally-mounted signaling device, a balance-bar supported by the signaling device and connected to the receiver, to support the latter when unloaded, and a closure coacting with the balance-bar when the receiver is loaded, to cause the balzmce-bar to display the signal when the closure is in closed position.

4:. A box of the class described having a receiver, a pivotally-inounted signaling device, a balance-bar supported by the signaling device and connected to the receiver, to support the latter when unloaded, and a closure having a device to engage and operate the balance-bar to display the signal when the closure is in closed position.

5. A box of the class described having a receiver, a pivotally-mounted signaling device, a balance-bar supported by the signaling device and connected to the receiver, to support the latter when unloaded, and a closure having a spring-clutch to engage and operate the balance-bar to display the signal when the closure is in closed position.

6. A box of the class described having a receiver, a pivotally-mounted signaling device, a balance-bar supported by the signaling device and connected to the receiver, to support the latter when unloaded, and a closure having an adjustable clutch to engage and operate the balanee-bar to display the signal when the closure is in closed position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing \vitnesses.

EUSTACE B EVAN.

\Vitnesses:

BERTHA J. BEVAN, LAUNA E. BAKER. 

